TheCafeIndex.
October 2026 reading
The Sparkling Water Index
October 2026 reading · Next: April 2027

TheSparkling Water Index

The canonical Sparkling Water, read from 3,486 café menus across Australia.

National median
$5.00
Across 3,486 venues that listed Sparkling Water in the October 2026 reading.
First readingOctober 2026 reading
National price range — 10th to 90th percentile
$4.00 p10median $5.00$7.00 p90
What does the spread look like?
223
1084
1156
568
236
102
3–4
4–5
5–6
6–7
7–8
8–9
Median $5.00
Strong sample
n=3,486 venues · spread $4.00–$7.00 · October 2026
By State & Metro
October 2026 Reading
Geographic variation
Median price of Sparkling Water by state
WA$5.00NT$5.50SA$5.00QLD$5.00NSW$5.00VIC$5.00TAS$5.00ACT$5.50
CheaperMore expensive
By metro median
Canberra
$5.50
Darwin
$5.50
Sydney
$5.00
Melbourne
$5.00
Brisbane
$5.00
Perth
$5.00
Adelaide
$5.00
Hobart
$5.00
Australia
$5.00
Local readings of the Sparkling Water Index
October 2026 Reading
By cityWagga Wagga $5.50Canberra $5.50Port Macquarie $5.25Sydney $5.00Central Coast $5.00Newcastle $5.00Melbourne $5.00Geelong $5.00Brisbane $5.00Sunshine Coast $5.00Gold Coast $5.00Cairns $5.00Perth $5.00Adelaide $5.00Victor Harbor $5.00Hobart $5.00Byron Bay $4.97Wollongong $4.50
By stateAustralian Capital Territory $5.50New South Wales $5.00Victoria $5.00Queensland $5.00Western Australia $5.00South Australia $5.00Tasmania $5.00
Cheapest regions — Sparkling Water
#RegionPricen
1Rockingham$4.5021
2Manly$5.001199
3Wagga Wagga$5.00124
4Melbourne City$5.00779
5Brisbane Inner - East$5.00434
Most expensive regions — Sparkling Water
#RegionPricen
1South East Coast$6.0016
2North Canberra$5.5084
3Tumut - Tumbarumba$5.34187
4Manly$5.001199
5Wagga Wagga$5.00124
The Spread
October 2026 Reading

At the median Australian café, a Sparkling Water costs $5.00 this reading. The middle half of venues sit between $4.50 and $6.00 — but the regional spread is the story. In South East Coast the median runs $6.00; in Rockingham it's $4.50.

Sample sizes vary by region — every number on this page ships with its n, and regions below our confidence bar are marked indicative or thin. Medians, not means: one $40 outlier doesn't move the number.

The gap between the dearest and cheapest region for Sparkling Water is $1.50 — +30.0% of the national median.
Sparkling Water prices — the short answers
October 2026 Reading

How much is a Sparkling Water in Australia?

A Sparkling Water costs $5.00 at the median Australian café, based on 3,486 priced menus in the October 2026 reading. The middle half of cafés charge between $4.50 and $6.00.

Which state has the cheapest Sparkling Water?

Tasmania is cheapest at $5.00; Australian Capital Territory is dearest at $5.50.

Where is a Sparkling Water most expensive?

Of the regions we read, South East Coast has the dearest median at $6.00 and Rockingham the cheapest at $4.50.

More from Cold Drinks
October 2026 Reading
Milkshake $8.00Iced Chocolate $7.50Fresh Juice $7.50Smoothie $10.00Still Water $4.00Soft Drink $5.00Coke $4.65Orange Juice $7.50Lemonade $5.50Apple Juice $6.90Kombucha $6.50
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